Shows
MCMP – Philosophy of Science"Reversed Reduction" in Gibbsian Statistical MechanicsRonnie Hermens (Groningen) gives a talk at the MCMP conference "Reduction and Emergence in the Sciences" (14-16 November, 2013) titled "'Reversed Reduction' in Gibbsian Statistical Mechanics". Abstract: Statistical mechanics is the branch of physics which uses probability theory to describe and explain the macroscopic behavior of many particle systems in terms of the mechanical behavior of their constituents. Part of this macroscopic behavior is independently captured by thermodynamics. In this talk I will lay out some difficulties with the purported reduction of thermodynamics to Gibbsian statistical mechanics. The explanatory power of the use of probabilities will be evaluated with respect to...2014-01-2832 min